


A Hand to the Devil

by coreopsis



Series: cyborg au [3]
Category: Alkaline Trio (Band), Bandom, Bob Bryar fandom, Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco
Genre: AU, Gen, RPS - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-03
Updated: 2010-10-03
Packaged: 2017-10-12 09:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/123617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coreopsis/pseuds/coreopsis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer discovers there's something going on, and Bob takes Patrick on a field trip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Hand to the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> For Nemo. There has to be something with Spencer. Always. :)

Spencer went into a coffee shop restroom on his way to work on a Monday morning, and on the wall right above the urinal, almost lost among the phone numbers and random insults and viral marketing ploys, was written: 'A REVOLUTION IS NOT A CRIME.' The letters were small block print except for the _R_ s which were curvy and flowing and slightly larger.

He stared at them as he finished up, then washed his hands and went to work. He only thought about the words a couple of times during his day.

On a Wednesday evening, he went out for drinks with some coworkers. When he went to the restroom, the urinals were already in use so he went into a stall. He braced a hand on the wall as he pissed and just as he was done, he happened to focus on his hand and right there between his widespread fingers were the same words from the coffee shop with the distinctive _R_ s. After he zipped up and flushed, he turned to go but found himself turning back and tracing the letters with a fingertip.

He shook his head and went back to the drinks and gossip, but he thought about it every day, wondering who put it there and what it was all about. He and Brendon were cutting through an alley to take a shortcut to the pizza place where they were meeting Shane and Dallon and there it was, written on the side of a building underneath a painting of an old-school shiny metal robot crushing a building that looked uncomfortably familiar under its foot. Spencer was going to let it go unremarked, but Brendon skidded to a halt and said, "Oh, wow, look at that" in a shocked and reverent tone.

Spencer swallowed and said, "Yeah."

"A revolution is not a crime," Brendon read out loud and slapped a hand over his mouth and looked around to see if anyone had heard. "I mean. That's. Um."

"Yeah," Spencer said again and took Brendon's arm, tugging him into motion again. "Let's go."

"But, Spence, that's our building--"

"I know." Spencer forced Brendon to walk faster and when they were over on the next street, he leaned in close and said, "I've seen that slogan before."

"Really? Where? What do you think it means?"

"Just on some bathroom walls." Spencer glanced back over his shoulder and then looked at Brendon. "I think something big is happening. Something we're not supposed to know about."

Brendon nodded thoughtfully and said, "I'm going to find out what it is."

Spencer started to warn Brendon to stay out of it, keep his head down and not attract attention, but Brendon was pretty smart and knew how to be cautious, so in the end Spencer said nothing.

A week later, Brendon showed up at Spencer's apartment with an underground newspaper clutched in his hand and the fervent gleam of rebellion burning in his eyes.

A month after that, Spencer stopped soul-searching and living in fear. He met Brendon and Pete in a coffee shop and said, "Okay, I'm in. What can I do to help?"

 

***

Bob wanted a cigarette but he knew Patrick would complain, so he stuck his twitchy fingers in his pocket and thought about the guy they were looking for. He didn't know much except the code phrases and that the guy would be young, white, and professional--whatever that looked like--and he'd have a beard.

Patrick was not having as much luck appearing normal, but the constant looking around at every building and person they walked past fit into the role they were playing so Bob let it go. Bob was of the opinion that Patrick didn't get out of his room full of computers nearly enough. Pete, of course, disagreed because he felt Patrick was safer there. Bob was tempted to disabuse him of that notion, but he figured everyone had their blind spots.

"Hey, is that him?" Patrick elbowed Bob and nodded in a completely unsubtle fashion at a guy that mostly fit the description who was coming toward them.

"Let's find out," Bob said under his breath, and then put on his best lost tourist face and stepped in front of the guy. "Oh, 'scuse me. Hey, do you happen to know how to get to Urie's Music Shop from here? I'm just all turned around because these streets all look the same, you know?"

"No, sorry, never heard of it," the guy said and edged around Bob, clutching his briefcase tight to his side.

"Crap," Patrick said, completely discouraged.

Before Bob could reassure him that sometimes it took a couple tries, another guy matching the description stopped and said, "Did you say you were looking for Urie's Music Shop?"

"Yeah, can you give us directions?" Bob asked.

"Sure, I got my drum kit there," the guy answered, and bingo. He was their guy.

"I play drums too. I need a tom and I heard Urie's carries the new line from SJC." Except for Bob playing drums, this was mostly made up bullshit. There was no such music shop as far as Bob knew.

"Yeah, they do," the guy replied, and relaxed slightly. "So, you want to make a left at the next light and then--"

"Sorry, but could you write it down?" Patrick said apologetically, and gave the angelic smile that nobody could ever say no to. "I'm afraid we'll just get lost again."

"Of course." The guy patted down his pockets until he found a folded bit of paper in one, then pulled out a pen and started scribbling directions. When he was done, he handed it to Bob and helpfully pointed them in the right direction, then continued on his way.

Bob pretended to consult the paper at the next corner and then a few more times as they walked block after block, wending their way across town and away from the government employee who had just passed them passwords and security codes that would get them into half a dozen government buildings. When they'd walked nearly a mile, Bob handed the paper to Patrick and called Pete to come pick them up.

While they waited, he leaned against a tree and said, "Fuck it. Stand upwind, Patrick. I need a smoke."

Patrick just nodded with a faraway look in his eyes, probably already working out how he was going to hack into the systems they needed to take down, and Bob resolved not to let down his guard until he handed Patrick back over to Pete.

***

Spencer walked into the train station bathroom and smiled when he saw the freshly painted walls. So pristine and untouched, so very, very attractive. They might has well have been calling his name.

Waiting until he was alone, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a chisel-tipped black Sharpie. He might not to be able to get the _R_ s just right, but it was his turn to try.


End file.
